8 Food Storage Essentials For A Tasty School Lunch

Looking forward to your lunch is a great way to get through the day, and this applies no matter your age! Whether you're putting together your own lunch or are a parent packing your kid's school lunch box, packing lunches for school is a surefire way to ensure you get a good variety of food types throughout the day. There are a lot of ways you can incorporate interesting kinds of food without the need for access to a fridge or microwave, and the right food storage can even inspire some creative school lunch box ideas!

At Spotlight we've got an amazing range of lunch boxes and lunch accessories you can use to take your school lunches from drab to delicious. Let's go through eight of our food storage essentials we think you've got to check out this school year - each idea is great for both primary and high school lunch boxes!

Quick Links

• Sandwich Box
• Insulated Lunch Bag
• Ice Pack
• Water Bottle
• Bento Box
• Snack Pods
• Insulated Flask
• Portable Cutlery

Sandwich Box

A sandwich box is a square container perfectly sized to fit a regular sandwich. They often snap shut to help keep your sandwich fresh and will keep any other lunch items, like fruit or yoghurt, from touching your sandwich and making it soggy.

Sandwich boxes are ideal for use anytime you have a sandwich, as they will prevent it from going stale, getting squished or falling apart in your lunch box. You can also use them to hold snacks like crackers and slices of deli meat.

Insulated Lunch Bag

A step above the basic lunch box is an insulated lunch bag, which is designed to keep the foods inside at optimal temperature. The insides of these bags are made from a thick, water-resistant material that keeps your meals fresher for longer. So if you've packed a delicious salad it will stay delightfully cool and crisp, while a fresh batch of your favourite stir-fry will stay warm instead.

These bags are fantastic for school lunches, and can be used for picnics and other fun outings as well! Transport drinks, sandwiches, fruit and more with the right insulated lunch bag from Spotlight.

Ice Pack

The next best step to keeping food cold is to add an ice pack to your lunch bag. Ice packs, also known as ice bricks or ice pouches, are small items designed to fit into your lunch bag or box that are as cold as ice, without the downsides of melting. Pop them into your bag and enjoy drinks and snacks as cold as if they'd come straight out of the fridge!

Ice bricks and ice pouches are kept in your freezer until you need them. Ice bricks are hard, rectangular 'bricks' that you can slide down the side of your lunch bag to act as a physical ice block that will keep your food cool by approximation. Ice pouches are cold, flexible packs filled with a gel that also becomes very cold in the freezer - these can be wrapped around bottles or food items to keep them cool.

Drink Bottle

A must-have for any school or even work lunch is a good quality water bottle. We all know the importance of staying hydrated, but the right drink bottle can make doing this so much easier! Drink bottles can have pop-up, screw top, sip or even foldable straw lids, so you have plenty of options so you can enjoy your drink the way you want.

Some drink bottles have built-in ice packs you take out of the freezer before you fill them so the liquid stays cold, while others have lids that come apart for easy and thorough cleaning. While a huge range of colours, patterns and sizes to choose from, you're bound to find the perfect drink bottle here!

Bento Box

Bento boxes are inspired by the Japanese practice of bento, which is a single meal in a compartmentalised box that is often eaten for lunch. At Spotlight we have a great range of bento-style lunchboxes you can use to bring your creative school lunch box ideas to life, in a range of colours and styles!

Bento lunches traditionally contained a portion of rice, protein and some sort of vegetable. This is a healthy and balanced lunch you are free to follow, but you can also utilise the segmented portions for snacks like biscuits, sliced sandwiches, fruit pieces, lollies and cheese. The segments are designed to be leakproof and most bento boxes are microwaveable so you can warm up your food, which makes them especially suited as a high school lunch box where older students often have access to a microwave.

Snack Pods

Also known as portion pods, snack pods are small, air-tight containers perfect for keeping your favourite snacks intact no matter where you are. Microwave-safe without the lid and easy to stack, snack pods are quick to clean and come in a variety of bright colours for you to choose from.

Snack pods are perfect for food like yoghurt, vegetable and fruit pieces, nuts and deli meats. Keep your snack pods within arms reach and enjoy whenever you feel the need for a little tasty treat!

Insulated Flask

Keep hot drinks and foods like soups, stews and curries hot all day by storing them in an insulated flask! Insulated flasks and bottles have double-walled, vacuum-sealed insulation that will keep your food hot (or cold) for the entire day. The thick walls prevent the heat from leeching out of the sides of your flask, while the tight lid and sealed design prevent heat from leaking out of the top.

Simply make your hot food and pour it straight into your flask before doing up the lid tightly. Whether you pop it into the freezer or leave it out in the rain all day, the contents of your insulated flask will stay hot no matter what!

Portable Cutlery

Taking your good, stainless steel cutlery to school can lead to it vanishing, plus their sharp tongs and serrations may cause damage to your lunch box and bag. So instead, get yourself a set of portable cutlery that will do the job just as well!

Portable cutlery is light, strong and designed to come with you as you eat on the go, and often comes in a handy storage container that will keep all the pieces together.

Enjoy Every School Lunch With Spotlight

Have these eight lunch box essentials on hand and your lunches are bound to be safe, delicious and always at the perfect temperature every time! You can find all the storage and accessories you need at Spotlight - shop online and have them home delivered, or visit your nearest Spotlight store to choose your best school lunch box supplies in person.

Check out our project on how to DIY decorate your lunchbox for fantastic inspiration on how to personalise your lunchbox at home! And have a read of our fun craft projects you can show off at school, such as our watermelon tag, rainbow bag tag and personalised name stickers and book bag projects.